US keeps Tom Barrack at center of Iraq and Syria files – Shafaq News

Shafaq News- Washington

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday confirmed that Ambassador
Tom Barrack will continue overseeing key files related to Baghdad and Damascus
under President Donald Trump’s administration, even after his formal role as
special envoy to Syria comes to an end.

Describing him as “invaluable,” Rubio noted that Barrack’s “expertise,
relationships, and understanding of the America First agenda will continue to
deliver wins on behalf of our great country.”

Ambassador Tom Barrak has played an invaluable role as our Special Envoy to Syria. While that title is expiring, he will continue to play a leading role for the Trump Administration in both Syria and Iraq, where his expertise, relationships, and understanding of the America…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 29, 2026

Barrack, who serves as US ambassador to Turkiye, took on the Syria Envoy
role in May 2025 as Washington stepped up efforts to reshape its approach
toward Damascus following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad,
including lifting sanctions on Syria.